Most couples have a detailed list of what they need to have for the wedding of their dreams. One of the top considerations couples must decide on is the venue.
The wedding venue is so important that it can make a ceremony warm and filled with ambiance. Or, if you select the wrong venue, and the ceremony can fall flat and disappoint. Venues usually match a couple’s style, personalities and can set the tone for their future.
Gervasi Vineyard (GV) wedding venues offer romance, style, elegance and will set the stage for an exciting future ahead.
Romance, Ambiance and the Food — Magnifico!
Kelsey Taylor and Maggie McCort are event coordinators at Gervasi. They both agree the Gervasi estate exudes romance.
When you think of Italy, you think romance. Starting with the Italian-styled architecture, GV’s landscape is draped in romance with weeping willows, the bridge often used for marriage proposals, the vineyards and the food. Even the color red, most often associated with love, is built into GV’s branding.
Wedding couples receive complimentary chocolate covered strawberries in their Casa rooms, along with wine gifts and other personalized mementos. As a family-owned business, Gervasi cultivates a joyful atmosphere and the staff form close relationships. Couples and guests who come to Gervasi quickly become part of the GV community.
“The first thing we believe couples search for is the aesthetic and overall scenery of a venue,” said Taylor. “This may be because people usually come to conclusions about things “at first sight”. Gervasi is truly an oasis within a smaller residential area of Northeast Ohio. We hear couples and guests at our weddings give praise to the surprise that is the Gervasi property—nobody expects these 55 acres of a Tuscan-inspired getaway to be here. We take a lot of pride in the grounds, the maintenance of our buildings and overall atmosphere of everything romance it all creates.”
“We can’t speak for all couples, but typically we see our couples put a lot of value in the inclusivity of amenities and services including the ability to schedule overnight stays in the booking of a venue as well,” McCort said. “There are a lot of significant decisions that go into wedding planning and Gervasi offers assistance with all of it. The point is to ease the stress of our clients. We’re not just a building or barn to be rented, Gervasi is a “one stop shop” in a lot of ways. We offer catering and bar services, the recommendations of additional vendors, room setup, linen rentals, private tastings, rehearsal dinners and multiple options for on-site lodging. Not many venues can offer that level of service and ambiance.”
Keeping it Close
While romance and ambiance are at the top of the list for a venue, convenience is also important. Taylor and McCort said couples look for the standard things like proximity to family, a fair price point, and quality of service and exceptional client reviews.
Gervasi is a widely known and highly awarded five-star venue. Both event planners said GV provides a lot for the money.
Taylor said, “All of these reasons are a testament to Gervasi’s uniqueness. We think that specifically, our catering service is exceptional. Food is important. At Gervasi, our culinary team takes a lot of pride in the elevation of menus we offer our couples. We present a wide selection of plated or buffet meal options, food display and appetizer packages for our couples to select. We do desserts as well and offer a full bar including our Gervasi-crafted wines. Everything is made in-house, even down to the vodka or bourbon our couples choose to use in their signature cocktails.
Wine and Spirits to Fit the Occasion
Gervasi events offer a specific selection of Gervasi wines and spirits for couples to include on their wedding bar. Italian imported wines and the Family Reserve collection can be specially requested. Same goes for spirits, the light and dark liquors that Gervasi distills on property will be stocked on event bars with the exception of some differently barreled bourbons. In addition to GV wine and spirits, Gervasi offers standard liquors like Tito’s, Hendrick Gin, Jack Daniels, etc.
McCort said, “If we have the ingredients and alcohol needed to make a signature drink or can at least order it from a beverage distributor, we will create any drink of our couple’s choosing. Our bartenders love to follow our couple’s recipes and branch out. Even if there is no specialty cocktail chosen, our bartenders do a great job of recommending unique drinks to guests. Our most popular specialty cocktail is the Gervasi Signature Sangria, which can be added to the bar at a wedding or enjoyed by the pitcher on our Piazza.”
Gervasi Event Coordinators Do It All
Taylor said, “We do it all! Once the event is booked through our sales team, they hand the contract to the event coordinators (us!) to reach out and begin the planning process. We host large group tastings followed by initial appointments to go over all of their event details ranging from timeline to layout and linen colors, to menu and bar selections.”
McCort added, “We are meant to ease the stress and jitters of our couples and make sure all Gervasi-related affairs are in order according to their vision for the day. We communicate menu selection and meal counts, food allergies of guests, etc. to our culinary team. We confirm on-site lodging with our hotel staff. While we don’t handle the booking of vendors, we offer additional communication and advice to them! There’s a lot more to our job description, but these are the big things.”
Top Three Reasons Gervasi Puts the “I Do” in the will “You Marry Me?”
McCort and Taylor both offer their best tips for getting the absolute most out of your wedding day. Gervasi’s staff knows it is the happiest day of a couple’s life, and they are ready to help make it all happen.
- Iron out your priorities, what is the most important aspect of your wedding day to you? As a couple, it’s important to be on the same page and to have a clear vision. Then, you can make the most informed decision—for the best fit for you and your families!
- Ask a LOT of questions with the sales team. They’re more than happy to assist you—No question is off limits and no idea is too crazy to at least explore. Gervasi understands that this is likely the first wedding you’re planning, sometimes it’s helpful to pass your concerns along to the amazing staff. Gervasi wants to offer assistance where warranted, even just during a sales appointment or in the very early stages of planning.
- Book as soon as possible! Gervasi is a very highly sought-after venue, booking multiple seasons in advance and filling up quickly. And, when you book, make sure to consider whether or not you want on-site lodging with us or additional events like a rehearsal dinner or day-after brunch.
McCort and Taylor said, “We have loved our time coordinating weddings together at Gervasi and we want to wish all of our 2022 couples a big congratulations! And, to our future wedding couples—congrats on your engagements and we look forward to meeting you soon.”
